There Shall be Showers of Blessing...

Kevin & I have realized once again just how blessed we are, after our recent trip to North Carolina. We headed out (Kevin, Muffin and me) very early in the morning and didn't imagine just how great this trip would be. Over the first two days we spent time with old and new friends and took part in two of our great friends special day.  We got to hang out and have fun with some great friends (probably for the last time in a while) and meet tons of new friends as well!  We danced, talked and laughed two nights away.  Our friends, Sunny & Tyler had a beautiful wedding and we were glad to have been chosen to share it with them.  Every time we attend a wedding, especially when Kevin's up there in his tuxedo, it makes me fall in love with him all over again.  Seeing the love in the bride and groom's eyes, listening to the words you say to each other and thinking back to the day when you said those words to the person you love is a great moment.

After that, it was our time to be reminded how in love we are and how our love for each other has created a special little boy that we get to meet and take care of very soon!  We got to go back to where I am from and see tons of people (friends and family) that I haven't seen in what seems like forever.  It was so great to see everyone and the support that we got from friends and family was amazing!  It's not everyday that someone who has been gone (technically) from their hometown (Creswell) for 4 years can go back and get the love and welcome that I did.  My home church and family blew me away with their generousity.

Then we traveled to Kevin's hometown (Four Oaks) for yet more showering by friends and family.  Even though we were in two different places, the kindness from everyone was the same in both places.  It's great to see someone when it's been a while and pick up right where you left off.  That's how you know people truly care.  We had friends come (who had to travel a good ways) from previous jobs, college, etc. that we probably haven't seen since our wedding!  True friends are so hard to come by and Kevin and I are even blessed in that area because we have so many friends that are there for us no matter what!

Eli will not go lacking.  We received so many thoughtful gifts that we literally had to rent a U-Haul to get it all back to Florida with us.  What a great problem to have!  Other things that were great were that Muffin got to visit with everyone and she LOVES her some grandma and grandpa. I started calling them (my parents) that long before I even thought about their nicknames changing for a baby one day...so she doesn't know who Nana and Papa are, so I'll have to work on that.

Since we've been back it's been tons of fun organizing, putting things together and then placing them in the exact right place (or so we think for now).  Kevin and I couldn't be happier right now.  The only thing that can make it better is having little Eli here to put him in everything we received!

We're getting close!!!

Today marks 31 weeks pregnant and I can hardly believe it.  Although part of me feels like I've been pregnant forever, the other part feels like it has flown by!  It's almost unreal that in 9 weeks or less we will be holding our baby boy.  I'm at the point where although 9 weeks is plenty of time, all of a sudden I have 5,000 to-do lists laying around the house of things that "need" to be done before the baby gets here.  My mind constantly races about things he'll need.  I often wonder if I forgot anything important on the baby registry or which books I should be reading about after he comes home.  The teacher in me feels like I won't be prepared unless I've read a book about napping and feeding, etc. for newborns. When you're a teacher you have to be trained on EVERYTHING so it kind-of gets to become a habit.

Sleep is becoming more difficult on my own which I guess is God's way of preparing me for the lack of sleep I'll be getting soon.  My nausea has come back (I guess 16 weeks of it at the beginning of pregnancy wasn't enough) so the only good thing about that is the Zofran knocks me out, so it helps with the lack of sleeping.  So that's a positive!

We have 2 baby showers in NC in a couple of weeks and could not be more excited.  Although I dread the ride because of the swelling my feet will do, we have decided to make me a bed in the back of the tahoe, elevating my feet and I'm gonna sleep most of the way.  Kevin's idea...isn't he the best? We can't wait to spend time with family and friends.

Next update on the blog, we will be getting even closer to the arrival of Eli!  :)  Kevin is loving the sound of "daddy" more and more and I can't WAIT to be mommy to more than just muffin.  She's pretty excited about becoming a big sister too. Maybe next time I'll include pictures...we'll see!